1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for preventing setting of system data by a malicious third party and erroneous setting of system data.
2) Description of the Related Art
As well known, with popularization of the Internet, an Internet connection function is provided not only in a personal computer but also in various equipment such as a television and a telephone, thereby the Internet can be used in individual homes.
However, when a user newly purchases equipment having the Internet connection function, it is necessary to perform connection setting to an access point for connecting each equipment to the Internet so as to allow the respective equipment to access the Internet, but this setting requires time and energy.
Wiring for communication lines is necessary in individual houses for the equipment. This is also troublesome, causing a problem in that wiring becomes more complicated as the number of equipment is increased.
As one solution for these problems, a gateway apparatus referred to as a home gateway or the like is recently attracting attention. Such a gateway apparatus installed in each house allows a difference in communication protocols to be adjusted, which allows interconnection. More specifically, the communication protocols are for the domestic network and the external network such as the Internet.
The respective equipment that can use the Internet is connected to this gateway apparatus. The gateway apparatus can be connected to the Internet via a public telephone network.
If system data relating to the connection to the Internet is set by the gateway apparatus, the respective equipment connected to the gateway apparatus can access the Internet without performing connection setting to the Internet individually.
By installing the gateway apparatus, time and energy for connection setting and the like to the Internet can be saved, and wiring or the like in the house can be put together, thereby considerably increasing the convenience for users. As a result, it is expected that popularization of the equipment that can use the Internet be accelerated.
In most homes, however, it is almost impossible to expect an administrator having expertise in network equipment to control the gateway apparatus (home gateway).
Therefore, conventionally, ordinary users having no expertise perform the setting including initialization, modification, restoration, and storage of the system data.
In setting the system data, there is a need for creating such an environment that user convenience can be improved and erroneous setting can be prevented, while maintaining security so as to exclude setting by a third party with malicious intentions via the network.
However, the conventional gateway apparatus (home gateway) is targeted for an ordinary user, and therefore advanced operation for ensuring the security cannot be expected. Thus, it is difficult to satisfy such needs.
In view of these problems, the conventional gateway apparatus (home gateway) currently has many problems to be solved by the time when the gateway apparatus becomes widespread in respective homes.